Don't go over the line with wine

This fall, many New York wineries will be serving a sobering pamphlet along with their wines.

The New York Wine and Grape Foundation is working with the New York State Police to increase public awareness about the potential consequences of wine tasting and driving. The goal: for winery visitors to have an enjoyable day while being responsible about alcohol consumption.

A brochure, "Enjoying New York's Wine Country Safely & Responsibly," was developed by Sgt. Terry McDonnell to show the impact that several sips of wine will have on blood-alcohol level.

One of the headlines on the pamphlet states, "Ounces add up." If you try several samples at a winery, you may be consuming the equivalent of a whole glass of wine during that stop.

On July 1, the blood-alcohol level considered DWI dropped from .10 to .08 percent. A driver can now also be found legally impaired by alcohol at a level as low as .05.

According to the brochure, a 5-ounce glass of wine will, on average, cause an increase of .02 percent in blood-alcohol level. It also states that the body takes an hour to process that amount of alcohol.

Taking your time to appreciate the wine during your visit will help keep your blood-alcohol level in check.

Scott Osborn, president of Fox Run Vineyards in Penn Yan, has spent a lot of time contemplating how to serve wine to customers. He has ongoing talks with other wineries and feels that for the most part, almost everyone is responsible.

At his winery, the servers pour close to an ounce of each wine sampled. If a taster has four or five samples, the amount of wine consumed should still add up to less than a five-once glass of wine - and that is only if the taster drinks all of each type of wine offered.

Since not all wines agree with everyone, the amount of wine consumed is even less each time a taster uses the dump bucket.

"You'd be surprised how many groups have designated drivers," Scott says. "The designated driver is the most important person in the group."

Frequently, designated drivers will simply taste and spit all of their wine samples.

Fox Run, like many other Finger Lakes wineries, provides grape juice as refreshment for nondrinking drivers.

Rooster Hill Vineyards, five miles south of Penn Yan, has only been open since last spring, but co-owner Amy Hoffman is pleased to be involved with the program to promote responsible drinking.

"All of our staff is alcohol-awareness trained," Amy says. They work with the sheriff's department to learn how to look for signs that a customer may have already had enough to drink.

Providing an enjoyable wine-tasting experience is a top priority for Len and Judy Wiltlberger, owners of Keuka Spring Vineyards in Penn Yan. It is located just a couple of miles north of Rooster Hill.

"We pour close to an ounce," says Judy, referring to the sample size they offer customers. "We want them to have enough for two or three sips and to smell the bouquet."

Take your time as you sample the wines to ensure a safe, enjoyable experience on your next trip to the wineries.

Jeff Richards' wine column appears Saturdays. For comments or questions, he can be reached at 607/271-8279 or 800/836-8970, ext. 279, or e-mail: thewineguy